The present invention relates generally to drawers used in cabinets or other enclosures, and more specifically to a means for adjustably mounting the face panel of a drawer so that when the drawer is closed, the drawer face panel is in flush contact with the front surface of the enclosure and into desired height, pitch, roll, lateral and skew positions with respect to the front surface of the enclosure. While the term xe2x80x9cdoorxe2x80x9d is often used in the industry to refer to any panel-like structure having vertical dimension exceeding the horizontal dimension, in the present document the term xe2x80x9cdrawerxe2x80x9d is used to refer to any structure that is received in a sliding fashion, instead of a pivoting fashion, in a cabinet or other similar structure, regardless of its relative vertical and horizontal dimensions.
Typically, when a drawer is installed into a cabinet, the face panel of the drawer may or may not be aligned with the cabinet in any or all of three dimensions. For both aesthetic and functional reasons, it is desirable that the face of the drawer be in alignment with the cabinet itself or with the faces of any other drawers or cabinet doors that are also installed into the cabinet. The drawer face panel is typically mounted onto the drawer itself, which is mounted onto a drawer slide, or it may be mounted directly to the drawer slide. In either case, the drawer slide is mounted into the cabinet.
In the past, manufacturers have relied on tight tolerancing of the cabinet, the drawer, the drawer slide, and all the associated attachment hardware in order to yield favorable alignment of the drawer face. However, this scheme tends to be expensive due to the number of components involved and the tightness of the tolerances required to yield that favorable alignment. In those cases where the tolerances are not held sufficiently tight, for example in low cost cabinets, the drawer face alignment is poor. The problem of alignment becomes exacerbated when the drawer face is very wide or tall. Of particular concern is the tilt of the drawer panel with respect to the cabinet. Misalignment in the roll direction of a tall drawer face can result in the condition where the bottom of the face panel of a closed drawer may be in contact with the enclosure, but the top is not, yielding gap between the top of the face and the cabinet. This yields a displeasing appearance, and promotes the likelihood of dust and debris entering the drawer through the gap. Similarly, where the drawer face is skewed, i.e., where the left side of the drawer face panel touches against the enclosure when the drawer is closed, but the right side does not so touch, a displeasing appearance, and the likelihood of dust and debris entering the drawer is the result. Where the drawer face panel is not aligned properly in the height, lateral, or pitch directions, a displeasing appearance results.
However, as the state of the art improved, various schemes for adjustment of the drawer face position arose. These schemes provide an assortment of components or features, which allow for adjustment of the front panel without requiring expensively tight tolerances. However, a review of the varied existing schemes reveals that adjustment in all possible directions is not available in any single device, and that most of the offered adjustability is accomplished using the time consuming trial and error method, i.e., an adjustment is made, followed by closing the drawer and checking its position, followed by another adjustment, with this process being repeated until a suitable adjustment has been obtained.
Systems for adjusting drawer front panels have been the subject of several patents over the last few decades. In U.S. Pat. No. 6,027,194, issued to Fleisch on Feb. 22, 2000, a device for mounting a metal drawer front panel using a spring loaded device is described. This device provides for the height adjustment of the drawer face panel by the trial and error turning of an eccentric, but does not provide for lateral, pitch, roll, or skew adjustment.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,857, issued to Lautenschl ger, et al, on Sep. 9, 1997, a device for permanently affixing a drawer face panel to a drawer using a bi-stable mechanical clamp is described. This invention allows for adjustment in the lateral direction and the height directions, which adjustments are made by the trial and error turning two screws, but includes no provision for roll, pitch, and skew positional adjustment.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,378, issued to Grabher on Aug. 27, 1996, a device for adjusting the roll position of a drawer face panel is described. The adjustment is made by the trial and error turning a thumbscrew to adjust the drawer face panel, while a flexible member absorbs the corresponding angular displacement. There is no provision in this invention for securing the adjusted position, as the thumbscrew is not locked into its adjusted position. In addition, there is no provision for adjustment of the drawer face panel in any other direction other than the roll direction.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,328, issued to Rxc3x6ck, et al, on Nov. 10, 1987, a mounting device for drawer front panels is described. This device provides for the height and lateral adjustments of the drawer face panel position by the trial and error turning of an eccentric and a screw, respectively, and includes no provision for adjusting the pitch, roll, and skew positions of the drawer face panel.
In. U.S. Pat. No. 4,690,469, issued to Grass on Sep. 1, 1987, a drawer front panel adjustment device is described. This device provides for adjustment of the drawer face panel in the roll direction by the trial and error sliding of a movable wedge in a vertical direction. The movable wedge acts against a stationary wedge to affect the adjustment. This device does not provide for adjustment in the height, pitch, lateral, or skew directions of the drawer face panel.
In. U.S. Pat. No. 4,595,245, issued to Rxc3x6ck and Brunneron Jun. 17, 1986, a fastening device for the drawer front panels is described. This device provides for adjustment of the height and lateral positions of the drawer face via the trial and error turning of adjustment screws, and for adjustment in the roll direction by the trial and error turning of an eccentric, which, after completion of the adjustment, is secured by a clamping screw. The Rxc3x6ck and Brunner device does not provide for pitch and skew adjustment of the drawer face panel.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,090,753, issued to Rxc3x6ck and Mages on May 23, 1978, two embodiments of a device for fastening drawer face front panels are described. These devices provide for adjustment of the height, lateral, and pitch positions of the drawer face panel. The height and pitch adjustments are made by trial and error turning of an eccentric, while the lateral adjustment is made by loosening some attachment screws, making an adjustment, and then re-tightening the screws. No roll or skew adjustment capability is provided.
The present invention provides apparatus for adjustably mounting a drawer face panel of any vertical and horizontal dimension having a center and outer lateral extremities onto a drawer slide. The drawer slide either has or can be modified to have a plurality of holes, and generally includes feet for mounting the drawer slide to the floor of the cabinet in which the present invention is to be installed. The present invention includes a stand having a plurality of holes and an angled bracket having a first leg and a second leg. The first leg of the angled bracket includes a plurality of holes and slots, and the second leg includes a plurality of openings that can be position in general alignment with some of the plurality of holes in the stand. A first attachment means engages at least one of the plurality of openings in the second leg of the angled bracket and at least one of the plurality of holes in the stand for adjustably attaching the angled bracket to the stand. A second attachment means engages at least one of the plurality of holes in the stand and at least one of the plurality of holes in the drawer slide for adjustably attaching the stand to the drawer slide.
In another aspect of the invention, a drawer face mount couples a face panel to a drawer slide in such a way as to permit adjustment of the drawer face panel relative to a perimeter of an enclosure containing the drawer slide. The invention includes a drawer slide assembly with mountings for affixing the drawer slide assembly inside the enclosure, a pair of stands having a plurality of holes that are attached to a movable portion of the drawer slide assembly, and a pair of brackets with a first leg affixable to the back of the drawer face and a second leg having a plurality of openings in general alignment with at least some of the plurality of holes in one of the stands. The drawer face mount further includes attachment means engaging at least one of the plurality of holes in each stand and at least one of the openings in each bracket for adjustably attaching each bracket to an adjacent one of the stands so that an outer portion of the drawer face can be positioned with respect to the perimeter of the enclosure.
Yet another aspect of the invention is a process for mounting a drawer face panel to a drawer slide to insure correct alignment of the drawer face panel with respect to a perimeter of an opening in an enclosure receiving the drawer. The process includes the steps of: providing mountings for the drawer slide that allow for lateral and skew adjustment of position of a fixed portion of the drawer slide within the enclosure; directly fixing a set of brackets to outer lateral extremities of the drawer face panel; coupling the set of brackets to a movable portion of the drawer slide so that the height, pitch, and roll positions of the drawer face panel can be adjusted; initially securing the mountings to the enclosure, and the brackets to the drawer slide, with such force as will permit positional adjustment of the drawer face panel with respect to a perimeter of an opening in an enclosure; uniformly contacting the drawer face panel to the enclosure opening perimeter and reopening the drawer; increasing mounting retention forces so that the lateral and skew positions of the drawer slide are secured; and increasing bracket coupling forces so that the height, pitch, and roll positions of the drawer face panel are fixed with respect to the drawer slide.
A cabinet including an enclosure and a drawer system of the present invention within the enclosure, the drawer system having a drawer face of a frame and panel construction, a drawer slide, and mountings for affixing the drawer slide to the enclosure. The mountings include at least one bracket for mounting the drawer face onto the drawer slide, and a plurality of various fastener devices to affix the aforementioned components together and to secure the drawer system into the enclosure. Of particular interest is an L-shaped stand having a plurality of holes that is fixed to the drawer slide, and an angled bracket that has a first leg fixed to the peripheral frame of the drawer face and a second leg with a plurality of openings in general alignment with at least some of the plurality of holes in the stand. The second leg of the angled bracket includes an L-shaped slot that is in general alignment with one of the plurality of holes in the stand, where the vertical leg of the L-shaped slot has a width greater than that of the hole in the stand in general alignment therewith, and also includes a second slot.
These structural features of the present invention allow for adjustment of the front panel without requiring expensively tight tolerances, and without requiring time-consuming repeated trial and error adjustments of the front panel relative to the surrounding frame. The present invention can best be employed with any conventional drawer slide hardware that includes, or is modified to include, feet for mounting the drawer slide to the floor of the cabinet. The invention can be particularly employed to refurbish cabinets having a space, previously closed by a pivoted door of a given vertical and horizontal dimension, to include a sliding support for a waste basket or other utility device, and a mounting system for mounting a drawer front of the same vertical and horizontal dimension as the pivoted door to the sliding support in a fully and easily adjustable manner. These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the present invention that is illustrated in the accompanying drawings.